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Analysis: Trump's election lie becomes a big problem for MAGA Media

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A version of this article first appeared in the „Reliable Sources“ newsletter.
Donald Trump’s Big Lie is becoming a big problem for the media outlets that comprise his powerful propaganda arm. On the same day that the former president’s scheme to remain in power was further exposed at another January 6 Committee hearing, Fox and OAN suffered legal defeats in court related to their advancement of his election lies. And last week, on Thursday, Newsmax also suffered a legal loss. So far, the right-wing media outlets that peddled Trump’s false election narratives have had little luck winning in court against the voting tech companies suing them for billions of dollars. It is early in the process, of course. But the string of defeats these media outlets have suffered indicate that these lawsuits have some teeth to them. The cases also point toward the fact that Trump’s election lies will be litigated in court, through multiple cases, regardless of whether the Department of Justice pursues charges against him or not. The Murdochs and „malice“
The most significant legal development on Tuesday was in regard to Fox. As Bloomberg’s Erik Larson and Mike Leonard reported, a judge ruled that Fox Corporation, Fox News‘ parent company, can be sued by Dominion „because Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch may have acted with ‚actual malice‘ in directing the network to broadcast conspiracy theories alleging the 2020 presidential election was rigged.“
In the decision, Delaware Superior Court Judge Eric M. Davis cited reports that Murdoch privately expressed he knew Trump lost the election. Davis also cited editorials in other Murdoch-run outlets, such as The Wall Street Journal and New York Post, that condemned Trump and encouraged him to accept defeat.
„These allegations support a reasonable inference that Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch either knew Dominion had not manipulated the election or at least recklessly disregarded the truth when they allegedly caused Fox News to propagate its claims about Dominion“, Davis wrote.

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